Tag Archives: vegetarian

I was watching Tom Kerridge’s weight loss cooking show on TV last night, where he made a delicious-looking black bean burrito. This inspired me to create my black bean spread recipe. I love bean spreads! They’re so tasty! And I just happened to have a can of black beans in my cupboard! Rather peckish at lunchtime, I was inspired to blend the black beans into this delicious spread. It is very tasty spread on oatcakes or in a gluten free tortilla wrap with carrot sticks and Kalamata olives.

Nutritionally speaking, black beans are high in plant protein and make a great alternative to tuna if you are vegan. They are also delicious served in a bean and lentil curry. Black beans are commonly grown in Italy and you should be able to find them in your local supermarket.

Equipment

Blender

Glass container

Spoons

Black Bean Spread Ingredients

1 400g can of black beans

1 small garlic clove

Half a lemon squeezed

1/2 tsp thyme

1/2 tsp rosemary

1/4 tsp sea salt

1/4 tsp black pepper

3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

Instructions

Firstly rinse the black beans and add to the blender. Now chop up the garlic and add in. Squeeze the juice of half a lemon into the mixture. Season with the thyme, rosemary, sea salt and black pepper. Finally pour in the olive oil.

Now blend on the lowest speed for 30 seconds. You may need to push down the mixture and blend again until all the beans are blended and you have a smooth spread.

Spoon the black bean spread into a glass container.

Store in the fridge and eat within 3-4 days.

Can be served as a dip with carrot and celery sticks, spread on oatcakes or added as a filling to a baked sweet potato! Enjoy!

I was asked by Loving Hut Southgate to come up with some vegan grab-and-go lunch recipes. So I came up with this idea. This vegan chicken wrap recipe makes a tasty lunch! You can fill the wrap with your favourite nutritious vegetables such as lettuce, tomato, cucumber or avocado to get some of your 5 a day!

Serves 1

Ingredients

Instructions

Firstly make the vegan spicy tofu chicken and vegan mayonnaise.

Now place the wrap on a flat surface. Place a lettuce leaf In the middle of the wrap. Now put down a line of the vegan spicy tofu chicken. Add on the dollops of vegan mayonnaise. Next cut the avocado in half lengthways and cut one quarter into slices. Place the avocado slices on the wrap. Chop the tomato into slices and place on the wrap.

This vegan spicy tofu chicken recipe is inspired by a trip to Loving Hut Southgate where I was served tasty vegan chicken pieces in rice noodles with stir fried vegetables. Vegan spicy tofu chicken is easy to make and is delicious in a vegan chicken and lettuce wrap or with a meal for dinner.

Serves 4

Ingredients

1 block tofu

3tbsp gluten free flour

1tbsp ground flaxseed or gram flour

1tbsp dijon mustard

2tsp cumin

1tsp coriander

1/2tsp sea salt

1/2tsp black pepper

100ml water

1tbsp coconut oil

Instructions

Firstly drain the tofu and place it on a piece of kitchen roll. Place something heavy such as a chopping board on top of the tofu and press down.

Now prepare the batter. Add the flour, ground flaxseed, mustard, cumin, coriander, salt and pepper into a bowl. Mix it together, then create a well in the middle. Slowly add the water and mix in as you go, until the mixture forms a smooth batter.

Break up the pressed tofu into bite sized pieces and add into the batter. Cover the tofu in batter.

Add the oil into a large frying pan on a medium heat. Add in the tofu pieces and fry for 10-15 minutes until the tofu sides are golden brown. Turn over the tofu pieces half way through.

It is wonderful to make homemade bread with the smell of bread filling the kitchen. And it is more tasty and satisfying knowing that you made it yourself! This yummy vegan bread has a crispy crust and is light and fluffy in the middle. it is delicious sliced and served with your favourite spread. It is gluten free, egg free and dairy free.

Ingredients

500g Dove’s Farm Gluten Free White Bread Flour

2tsp Quick yeast

2tbsp Coconut sugar

1/2tsp Salt

1 Flax egg (1tbsp ground flaxseed in 200ml water)

6tbsp Rapeseed oil

1tsp Apple cyder vinegar

400ml Water

Instructions

Put the dry ingredients including the flour, yeast, sugar, and salt into a large bowl and mix well with a wooden spoon. Make an indent in the middle of the flour. Now add the wet ingredients including the flax egg, half the rapeseed oil, the apple cyder vinegar and water. Mix until you have a smooth, thick batter. Pour the remaining oil over the dough.

Oil a 1kg bread tin and tip the dough into the tin. Cover loosely with a sheet of cling film. Leave in a warm place for 1-2 hours until the dough has risen to the top of the tin.

Preheat the oven to 200C or 180C fan. Bake for 55 minutes.

Store the vegan bread wrapped in baking paper in a cool, dry place. Eat within a week.

The Christmas season is upon us, so I thought I would share my vegan christmas dinner recipe which I made last year. It’s so delicious I’m going to make it again this year! This tasty vegan christmas dinner consists of Quinoa Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms & Roasted Root Vegetables with my Raw Chocolate Brownie and Banana & Cashew Ice Cream for dessert!

Serves 2

Ingredients

2 Carrots

2 Sweet potatoes

8 Brussels sprouts

1 Red onion

2 Garlic cloves

2tbsp Rapeseed oil

4 Portobello mushrooms

100g Quinoa

50g Walnuts

1tbsp Thyme

1/2tsp Himalayan pink crystal salt

1/2tsp Black pepper

Instructions

Preheat the fan oven to 200C.

Wash the vegetables. Cut the ends off of the carrots and sweet potatoes and slice them lengthways, arranging them in layers in a baking dish. Cut the Brussels sprouts in half and add to the baking dish with the sliced red onion. Place in the peeled garlic cloves cut into quarters. Drizzle over the rapeseed oil.

Place the baking dish in the hot oven for 30 minutes.

While the vegetables are cooking, prepare the stuffed portobello mushrooms. Firstly weigh out the quinoa and and place in a pan of hot water. Bring to the boil, then simmer for 12 minutes. When the quinoa has absorbed most of the water, add in the chopped walnuts. Season with the thyme, salt and black pepper and mix in well.

Cut the stems out of the portobello mushrooms. Now spoon the quinoa mixture into the portobello mushrooms.

After the 30 minutes, remove the baking dish from the oven and carefully place the 4 stuffed portobello mushrooms on top of the roasted vegetables. Return to the oven for 15 minutes.

If you are vegetarian or vegan you may miss this Italian inspired favourite, spaghetti bolognese. Now you can enjoy this delicious, protein rich, vegan spaghetti bolognese which is made without meat!

Serves 2

Ingredients

1tsp Olive oil

1 Red Onion

2 Garlic Cloves

150g White Button Mushrooms

¼ tsp Pink Crystal Salt

¼ tsp Black Pepper

½ tbsp Dried Oregano

1 500g can Passata

1tbsp Tomato Puree

1 small Carrot

1 400g can Red Kidney Beans

200ml Filtered Water

150g (75g/serving) Gluten free spaghetti pasta

Instructions

Put the olive oil into a large pan. Add the chopped onion and sliced mushrooms and stir. When the onion starts to brown, add in the chopped garlic. Next season with the oregano, salt and pepper and stir to mix in.

Now pour in the passata and add the tomato puree. Next add in the finely chopped carrot and red kidney beans. Bring to the boil. Simmer on a low heat for 20 minutes stirring regularly. Add in the extra water.

While the sauce is cooking, add the spaghetti pasta to a large pan of boiling, slightly salted water. Simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, then drain.

Serve the sauce in the middle of the spaghetti while still warm. Enjoy!

If you are wondering what to do with your pumpkin now Halloween is over, look no further! Dice it up to make a delicious pumpkin curry! This is my first attempt at carving a pumpkin face! He looks more friendly that scary! Looked pretty cool glowing in the dark with a tea light inside on Halloween!

Serves 2

Ingredients

1tsp Coconut Oil

1/2 Red Onion

1 Garlic Clove

1cm cube Fresh Ginger Root

80g Mushrooms

1tsp Ground Cumin

1tsp Ground Coriander

½ tsp Ground Turmeric

1/4tsp Sea Salt

1/4tsp Black Pepper

1 Carrot

1/2 Medium Pumpkin

1/4 block Coconut Cream dissolved in 200ml Hot Water

300ml Passata

300ml Filtered Water

65g Red Lentils

75g Basmati Rice (per portion)

Instructions

Melt the coconut oil in a large saucepan on a medium heat. Chop up the red onion, mushrooms and root ginger and add to the pan. Fry until the onions start to look translucent. Now add in the chopped garlic. Season with the spices and stir to mix.

Very finely chop the carrot and add to the pan. Dice the pumpkin into cubes and add to the pan.

Now melt the coconut cream in hot water and add the resulting coconut milk to the pan. Pour in the passata and add in the extra water. Add the lentils. Now bring to the boil. Simmer for 20-30 minutes.

Next pour around 300ml of water into a small pan. Bring to the boil and add the basmati rice. Simmer for 10 minutes.

Scoop half the curry sauce onto a plate and serve warm with the rice. Enjoy!

This vegan lasagne reminds me of when I used to eat microwave ready meal lasagne as a student before I became ill. However this lasagne is much more delicious and more healthy for being gluten and dairy free! I used my vegan mozzarella recipe and tripled the amount to create the cheese sauce for the vegan lasagne. You can leave out the tofu mince if you want the lasagne to be soy free.

Serves 4

Ingredients

Tomato Sauce

1tsp olive oil

1/2 onion

3 cloves garlic

1 can passata

1 carrot

250g mushrooms

2tsp dried basil

1/4tsp sea salt

1/4tsp black pepper

Vegan Cheese Sauce

90g cashew nuts

3tbsp tapioca starch

600ml almond milk

1tsp pink himalayan crystal salt

1/2 lemon squeezed

2tsp nutritional yeast (optional)

Tofu Mince

1 block tofu

Other Ingredients

1tbsp olive oil

12 gluten-free lasagne sheets

1L water

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 200C or 180C for a fan oven.

To prepare the tomato sauce, heat the olive oil in a pan over a medium heat. Fry the chopped onion and mushroom until the mushrooms begin to brown. Then add the chopped garlic, salt and pepper and cook for a few minutes. Next add the chopped carrot. Now pour in the passata and stir in the dried basil. Simmer on a low heat while you prepare the other ingredients.

To make the vegan cheese sauce, add all the ingredients into a blender and blend for 30 seconds. Now pour the mixture into a large pan on a medium heat. The mixture will start to thicken and lumps will appear. Stir continuously. Once the sauce has thickened, turn off the heat.

Now make the tofu mince. First drain the tofu block. Then place it into a bowl and mash it up with a fork.

Grease the base of a casserole dish with olive oil.

Next bring a wide pan of water to the boil. Drop 3 lasagne sheets into the water and spread them out. Boil the sheets for 5 minutes each ensuring all the edges have softened. Place the first 3 lasagne sheets onto the base of the casserole dish, layering the sheets over one and other to fill in the gaps. Repeat with the remaining lasagne sheets.

Now spoon over a third of the tomato sauce and smooth over using the back of a spoon. Now add a quarter of the vegan cheese sauce on top and smooth over with a spoon. Finally add a third of the tofu mince on top.

Layer 3 more of the boiled lasagne sheets on top. Add another layer of tomato sauce, vegan cheese sauce and vegan mince..

Again layer 3 more of the boiled lasagne sheets on top. Add the final layer of tomato sauce. Add another quarter of the vegan cheese sauce. And add the final layer of vegan mince.

Now layer the final 4 lasagne sheets on top. Pour on the remaining vegan cheese sauce and spread out with a spoon.

As the days get colder, it is comforting to have hot, spicy meals to warm us up. Here are 10 warming Autumn recipes to do just that! My favourite meal at the moment is the delicious sweet potato and tomato casserole.